I pre booked an experiential tour in the dark for 22 people. Their website booking system was a little too restricting for my dates and times but after some very helpful email exchanges I managed to book what I really wanted.

This is a very unique experience for adults and children alike. You'll be outside of your comfort zone and that is something we should all do from time to time. The basic point of the tour is to experience what it's like to navigate yourself around a busy city (Hong Kong) and all the challenges that involves as a visually impaired person using a white stick.

90 Minutes in the Dark

After some instruction about how to hold a white stick, in small groups of eight, we were lead by our visually impaired guide for 90 minutes in complete darkness. When I say dark, I mean complete and utter blackness for the whole time. There was no time that my eyes made an adjustment to the environment. There was no time that I had any idea what the environment looked like or where my guide was. Although I knew I was with seven other people, there was no time I knew how many where in front or behind me. However, our guide used his voice in the most comforting way. He gave clear instructions about which direction to walk and when.

The Route

The route took us through various places which we had to feel with our feet, hands and stick as we walked slowly, with trepidation, through the space. Within the dark dark space a recreation of a wooded area with leaves to feel and a gravel floor to a street scene and even boarding a ferry has been constructed to give sighted people the disarming experience of beginning to know what it's like to be without the sense of sight. I say beginning to know, because I feel sure that living without sight has many more restrictions than the 90 minutes can ever tell us, but at the same time gave our group an appreciation of the skills required. It also gave us an idea that our guide was much much more perceptive in the dark than any of us. He was so aware of us and where we were, remembering our names and guiding, directing and giving us confidence to know where to go, we began to think he was actually wearing night vision goggles. HE WASN'T.

Back in the Light

Once we were back out into the light and our white sticks returned is when we could see our guide for the first time. He has been visually impaired since birth. It was most humbling to meet him and have the opportunity of having a Q&A session with him. We also had a go at writing braille and using a special plastic device to work out which bank note is which. There are many gadgets and techniques to help visually impaired people to cope in many different areas of life.

Dialogue in the Dark offers many options where, if you are brave enough, you can celebrate your birthday with a party in the dark and musical concerts in the dark. Instruction can be in English or Cantonese.

May 09, 2015

We are all aware of Robert Louis Stevenson's story, Dr Jekyll experiments with a substance and turns into a hideous monster at night. In Jonathan Holloway's version Dr. Jekyll is a woman.

The setting is still Victorian London with a magnificent stage set reflecting the fact that it is being performed in Hong Kong. Stunning red silk lanterns were hung above the gothic room. The cast, a mixture of Chinese and English actors, and if I say everyone had a hint of Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton on Halloween I'm sure you'll understand the general vibe.

Performed in English with Chinese and English subtitles, I always find that slightly distracting but I understand their reasons, with dialogue packed with euphemisms about sex. Are all euphemisms about sex? "Would you like to open the petals of my purple orchid?" "Will your stamen enter my flower while still lubricated by another?" I may not have those quotes completely accurate but that was the gist of the lines. There were rather a lot of references to sex in the whole production, while not explicit, we couldn't have that in conservative Hong Kong now could we (we were in Wan Chai!).

In this version we see Dr. Jekyll as a woman, yet a scientist, the ONLY woman doctor in London at that time struggling to break the stereotype placed upon her gender, rebelling against conformity of marriage and family life, choosing to experiment alone in her explorations of substances and what-do-you-know she is quite the temptress. We see shadowy scenes through the opaque bathroom door of two bodies together, items of clothes being removed and illicit pleasure being had.

And so when 'she' becomes Hyde she becomes a man. In this persona, which isn't revealed until much later in the play, she is a lout, a violent rapist and we have to presume a transexual because of the comments about his/her ability to rape. Olivia Winteringham who plays Jekyll and Hyde is a slight woman and when she appears as the man, Hyde, she has blood stained bandages around her chest area eluding to her having sliced off her breasts? Well this is what you get with gothic literature.

I do question the power of this play to shock though, we already know the story and to put a woman as Jekyll as a tool to twist the plot seemed not enough of a shock in our 21st Century transgender sexual equality world. Perhaps a man dressed as a woman playing a woman as a man and then turning into a man played by a woman as a man would have made us think more. Oh hang on, Shakespeare has already done that!

April 26, 2015

The Fringe Club is an excellent and intimate venue for a production of Shakespeare's most intriguing tragedy. Affording the audience a closeness to the emotion with selected key scenes to move the plot swiftly on, Sweet and Sour Productions, directed by Candice Moore from Edinburgh, opened with those Weird Sisters (Jacqueline Gourlay Grant, Hamish Campbell and Vicki Rummun). They cast their manipulative spell over our hero, Macbeth (Nicholas Atkinson), and then dominated the play with their constant presence and the notion that it is their magic, their bubbling concoctions and their will that infects Macbeth with his ambition to become King of Scotland and subsequent downfall. That's why it's called a tragedy, he dies! It's not a plot spoiler, I don't feel I have to avoid giving away the ending. We don't go to see Macbeth to find out what happens, we already know (don't we?) we go to see how it's done. In this production there is a focus on the three witches who lurk in every corner seen and unseen and play Macbeth like a puppet. It's wonderful.

I loved the costumes which had an Alexander MacQueen/Vivienne Westwood tartan vibe going on and, unless a Scottish person disagrees with me, I couldn't fault the Scottish accents.

Lady Macbeth (Muriel Hoffman) was hateful, as she must be, and I was particularly impressed with the fight scene between Macbeth and Macduff (Henry Coombs) which was expertly choreographed and executed (pun intended).

Sweet and Sour Productions Ltd are an adaptable and talented lot who are not to be missed. I shall certainly be looking out for their next production.

April 04, 2015

Ray Lewis is visiting Hong Kong from 17th April 2015 for two weeks and can be contacted on 9748 7538.

A few years ago I met Ray Lewis on a plane. We had a very interesting conversation about his job which he told me was 'helping people'. He explained a little about how he did this and it was so compelling that I followed up his suggestion of reading his website once I was home.

I pursued his ideas and went ahead and did some, he recommends five, sessions with him where he asked me questions and then asked me to sit quietly and listen to him. I cannot really explain what happened after that apart from to say that I was aware of what was happening and could hear his voice. It was calming and easy.

Afterwards, not immediately afterwards, and I can't really be precise about the timing of how my negative feelings were alleviated, but I had a complete change of feeling. I felt lighter and no longer afraid. The same old crap was going on but I felt Teflon coated after the sessions and it just didn't bother me in the same way. I had more strength to live my life.

Ray Lewis spent most of his adult life (more than 20 years) battling severe manic/depression or bi-polar as it has come to be known, and during that time he spent thousands of hours and many more thousands of dollars trying to get "the monkeys off his back". He was addicted to therapies and would try anything to get relief from the nightmare of his own mind that he was trapped in. He'd tried different types of therapies, attended umpteen different types of weekend seminar and read hundreds of self help books that inspired him,and according to Ray, they all worked, and provided some relief,but unfortunately, eventually the negative feelings would always come back again.

Fifteen years ago through a chance conversation, Ray stumbled across the missing link in the puzzle of the nightmare he found himself in. The answer came in the knowledge of a small part of the brain that was relatively unknown until the famous neuro-science professor Joseph La Doux, (NYU) discovered aspects of a little part of the brain called the Amygdala in the Limbic System, which led to the development of The Release Effect.

The Amygdala can store memories as a feeling memory even before our first conscious memories which usually start around the ages of 2-5. For example, a baby left alone too long could feel abandoned, which to a baby would feel like a life threatening situation, and then in the future, anything even remotely similar to being alone can trigger the same fight/flight response that the Amygdala remembered from all those years before. Even though the current situation is not logically relevant to that feeling memory. The Release Effect does not require a memory of the original event that created the feelings, it does not use analysis of the past.

The Release Effect evolved and in the last ten years, Ray has successfully treated nearly two thousand people with this technique, to help them get rid of their "monkeys" as well, and finally find that elusive peace of mind.

Ray has been free of his depression and feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, failure, fear of poverty, unappreciated and unloved etc for over 20 years and has devoted most of his time to travelling to take this new approach to people all around the world. He finds people in Hong Kong to be very open-minded and looks forward to meeting you at an almost free talk on April 20 evening, where you can learn more about The Release Effect.

Love Offering : HK$77

To join the evening talk on April 20 with Ray, call Reflections on 2504 1333.

December 07, 2014

In my down-to-earth-women-from-the-north way, I go about my day to day, week to week, month to month 'stuff' that needs doing in a straightforward manner. I believe that people who make a drama about the mundane are just attention seekers in an attempt to make their lives appear a little bit more interesting than yours (or mine).

And in my straight forward, let's call a spade a spade northerness, I find wild and weird talk of spirituality, meditation, mindfulness a tricky topic. Although if I was assessed I would probably get a 'satisfactory progress' rather than a 'must try harder' on my report card these days.

The past merely exists in our imagination. We only have the now. The future has not happened yet and so there is no need to worry about it. And if you don't like the now then it will soon be in the past anyway.

As much as this notion can take the pressure off my tendency to worry about the future, I do find it a flippant way to live life because it infers that no planning for the future is necessary and of course we all need to plan ahead to some extent. We'd run out milk too often for that to be fun. A little forward planning is surely necessary? I mean, insurance men would be out of a job wouldn't they?

I have indulged in meditation recently. I have Ommmed and Hummmmed and thought about my third eye while concentrating on a candle flame. I am at peace during these times but now I'm beginning to think that such indulgence cannot be of any benefit unless the world joins in.

It seems that the rest of the world is not cooperating in such Ommmmness or Zenness and is actually on a mission to cause me complications to add drama to my life which I simply do not want!

My solution is that all employees of NOW TV all sit down and think about just what they are doing to help the mental health of Hong Kong. I know the answer is zilch. In fact I strongly suspect that they go out of their way to cause mental health issues with unsuspecting customers by promising outrageous things like a faster service and interesting channels. They could make a start by having staff who answer the phone who can actually answer questions and staff who come to my house who actually have solutions to problems instead of finding my situation of paying more money for an even worse service funny and openly laughing.

A further solution is to extend Zenness to the Government Motor Vehicle Inspection Centres and help them to understand that an appointment three weeks after my road tax runs out is not in the spirit of calmness or mindfulness and is just plain inefficiency on their part. I feel sure that a little bit of candle staring will help them to bring my appointment forward enabling me to drive my car again.

Then there is BUPA Claims Department. I feel certain that a little bit of humming in a darkened room with their eyes closed will really assist them is assessing my recent claim. After such a calming session they will then fully understand that my aged doctor didn't mean to write Groft (with a G)and that I am the person he saw that day and so process my claim. They will stop being pernickety, pedantic and downright bloody awkward. Unless of course there is a Lesley Groft who lives quite nearby and by pure coincidence has the same BUPA Membership number as me, lives at the same address and consulted the same doctor on the same day with the same symptoms?

An extra special session of mindfulness needs to be arranged for my Landlord who, after being asked to think about his inner critical voice, will be moved to withdraw his latest random 20% rent increase and to look at the level of inflation in Hong Kong (on average 4.58%). In his new serene brain he will then also arrange to have any repairs done with a huge grateful smile on his face given that I am such an excellent tenant.

November 30, 2014

A virgin to music festivals because of their association with wellies and mud I have avoided such events. The beauty of Hong Kong's Clockenflap is the ease of getting to the venue and, even better, being able to go home with no necessity to camp in a field.

Kowloon Station MTR and then walk, follow the signs that say CLOCKENFLAP

It is three days of music at ten different stages of various sizes. As well as all that lots of places to buy food and drink and believe it or not the toilets were of a civilized standard with fast queues and no drama.

Their website is easy to negotiate. You can buy your choice of ticket and print it off seamlessly, and if you are more organised and decisive than me you you could have bought a weekend ticket months ago at an early bird discount. Next year I will remember this. I must mention their tone, they write their information in such a friendly way I found it a refreshing change from other Hong Kong events. For instance one of their FAQ says ;

Q. Can I bring outside food or drink?

Whereas the usual response in Hong Kong is 'cannot', their answer is this;

A. No, sorry, but plenty of caterers will be serving delicious food and drinks at the venue. However, we will make exceptions on food and drink intended for babies.

See! They sound like a jolly nice bunch of people to me.

The Actual Music

Sultan Ali and The Red Stripes

There were loads of bands playing at various stages throughout the day and so unless you have super powers you can't see them all. I set myself a realistic target of general milling and checking out the stalls and the art, buying beer and getting something to eat until the serious business of watching Sultan Ali and the Red Stripes at 4.30 on the Replay stage. The Red Stripes are a Hong Kong band and Sultan, having flown in specially for Clockenflap, is from Jamaica. He was a charismatic, experienced crowd pleaser and they had the crowd jumping from the first note. They are a very slick band with their special guest and well worth seeing without him too.

Then I skipped across to the Harbourflap stage for OZOMATLI from the States who were cool as. A multi-genre, multicultural and multi Grammy winning band who were fabulous.

Kool and the Gang

The excitement was building for Kool and the Gang, obviously. When they said "Let's take you back to the 70s" I did have a quick scan of the audience to see if there was anyone around me who was alive at that time and soon came to the conclusion that it was just me. It was no matter and I made a point of pushing my way to front to get the whole full on Kool experience and had a close up view of the brass section as well as the fantastic sparkly shirts they all wore. They still have the moves. They still have the showmanship. They still have the voices and we all obliged by singing all the words to the Ladies Night and Ceeeeelabration time COME ON!

1970's

2014

Travis

Travis were the headline band on the Harbourflap stage to finish off Saturday night.

and were well received by the crowd with lots of joining in, photo taking (some times with a selfie stick held high to eliminate the backs of heads) appreciative applause and a general bonhomie. Who says Hong Kong audiences don't know how to enjoy themselves?

Movember

It is plain to see the lead singer off of Travis has facial hair. But does he have to have THAT much of it. It's wild. I wondered if he was sporting a beard for Movember because every other male attending Clockenflap seemed to be. Even the provision of a proper barbers chair didn't seem to make any difference in the amount of unshaveness. I find it ironically unfair that the fashion for removing hair from nearly every place on the human body has been embraced while it is a tragic fashion fad to grow a beard where we all have to look at it. At least the pubic region is covered most of the time. Come on boys it's December soon, lets go for a nice clean shaven look for Christmas and well into the New Year. What da ya say?

Lumbersexual is a new word to me but it was apparant that many of the audience were actually walking talking lumbersexuals. I spotted quite of lot of lumberjack shirts and boots and of course the unkempt beard to complete the whole vibe. Although the urban dictionary defines the word as a man with 'groomed' beard who wants to maintain a rugged look. Something is just not right.

August 12, 2014

I spent a week at Island Yoga at the beginning of July and had a most wonderful time. I am slightly hesitant to even write about it just incase people start flocking to Koh Yao Noi and spoil the tranquility.

Their website is easy to use and I booked myself in for six nights. Once this was done communication came through email and instructions on how to pay the initial deposit with PayPal were simple and clear.

They are also very flexible {pun is intended} so there is no specific 'course' or set period of time that you have to fit into. You can arrange the dates to suit your own schedule and join the classes upon arrival because they are always different, challenging and interesting.

How to Get There

Koh Yoe Noi Island is situated to the east of Phuket Island. I took a taxi from the airport to Bang Rong Peir which took about half an hour and sat and waited peacefully, with a few Thai's and a monkey, for the small speed boat to take me on the 200 Baht trip to the Island. There were a few tuk tuks waiting at the pier and they knew exactly where Island Yoga was. Last boat each day is 5.30pm.

On the speed boat

Koh Yoe Noi

This small island does have some lovely places to stay including Sixth Sense Koh Yoe and Koyao Island Resort , is unspoilt and very quiet. It has one circular road so it's impossible to get lost. The local population is mostly muslim. It was Ramadan when I was there and perhaps that made it even quieter, I'm not sure, but I liked it. If you are familiar with the heady markets and bar world of Thailand this is the complete opposite. It is an unspoilt place with no one pushing their wares at you. The locals were very friendly and would even stop and offer a lift just to be nice. There are a few basic shops, 7/11 and one or two ATMs. The roads are empty so hiring a scooter or even a bike is relatively safe.

Just as an example of how friendly it is, the chain on my bike popped off. Once my fingers were covered in black oil and I realized I had no idea how to put it back on, I pushed it to a sleepy massage place and asked them if they could get me a tuk tuk to take me back to Island Yoga. They quickly found a tool and fixed the chain for me and happily waved me on my way.

(Secretly, I wanted to ride in the tuk tuk)

Accommodation

Within Island Yoga there are a few options. Some basic bungalows, meaning just a fan. You can opt to share or you can stay in another location on the island and do pop-in classes to suit yourself. I went for my own bungalow with air con. I'm too used to air con to not have it! I loved my bungalow, it had a comfortable bed with mosquito net, plenty of cupboard space for hanging clothes, a very nice hammock on the little deck for relaxing after a hard morning in the sala.

Food

After the first yoga session of the morning, which finished at 9.30am, breakfast was waiting for us. A delicious spread of cereal, yoghurt, fruit as well as Thai vegetarian dishes. This is included in the package. If you want food at other times the wonderful Ning and her Thai family, who run the catering side, can russle up meals or snacks and this is added to your bill at check-out.

Me after yoga and breakfast.

Yoga - Two Classes Each Day

There are two classes per day. The morning one is 90 minutes and starts at 7.30am. This was a really excellent energising start to the day and each day the class was different. One day we were out on the beach, one day we did laughing yoga, one morning we all were taught the secret of the netty pot and one session involved absoltuely no downward dogs at all. The second session at 4.30pm for an hour, was Yin Yoga which involved a much more 'cushioned' variety where poses were held for longer periods of time.

The instructors (I had Heather and Kierra) were highly knowledgable and committed to their practice. They were bursting with creativity and filled everyone with the confidence to be strong and really enjoy each pose. Afterall if you don't like something it'll soon be over and in the past anyway!

Yoga Sala

End of class relaxation

psssst - So just between you and me and the gate post, sssshhhhh this place is fantastic. I want to go back but don't tell anyone, ok!

May 05, 2014

A production by the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

2nd - 4th May this prestigious production was performed in Kwai Tsing Theatre. The nearest MTR station, Kwai Fong, exit B to be precise.

The Venue

I really cannot stress enough just how smart this theatre is. I assumed that because I was going to Kwai Fong in the New Territories on a Saturday night it would be something of a sub standard forgotten building. How wrong I was. Kwai Tsing Theatre is beautiful, modern, clean with an excellent sound system. The toilets were great, plenty of them and all well stocked, and most importantly the temperature was just right. There was no freezing arctic moments to contend with. What more could one want from a night out at the theatre? Oh yes, now I remember. A bar.

Everyone expects a glass of wine at the intermission, don’t they?

Dunsinane is set in 1054 Scotland, written by David Greig in 2010. It is a dramatic sequel to MacBeth. Just exactly what does happen to Scotland after the death of brave MacBeth? Is MacDuff king? Do Malcom's sons return to claim their right to the thrown? These and more questions will be answered in Dunsinane.

Cheeky Sequel

Is it cheeky to write a sequel to a great Shakespeare work?

It certainly is, and that's why it is so wonderful. As we all know sequels can be bad. Part 2’s can be awful, with the exception of Toy Story 3 obviously. Perhaps because hundreds of years have passed since the original work, it can be described as cheeky to take liberties; such as keeping Lady MacBeth alive and kicking, not particularly as bonkers as she was the last time we heard her scream and then go silent as she jumped from a balcony. I suppose if Bobby Ewing can wake up and it all be a dream and Jean Rhys can rename Bertha, the mad woman in the attic in Jane Eyre, Antoinette, then Lady MacBeth, henceforth known as Gruach, can be alive.

It is an excellent play and I suspect even more well received in Scotland prior to the coming referendum. Keep those English out!

April 25, 2014

When I was 11 I had a birthday party at my house. I know this because I have photographic evidence of all the girls in my class sitting our settee.

When I was 16 I had a party at my house when all the girls and boys came. I have no photographic evidence of this but it did happen. It had all the elements of bad behaviour like any good 16th birthday celebration should. The next day there were a few tears and voices raised in anger but I'm secretly proud that the neighbours were disturbed, the tropical fish had to suffer cider in their tank, some guests were in rooms they really shouldn't have been in and there was ash and spillages associated with under age drinking.

When I was 18 I had a bus load of people visit The Beer Keller in Newcastle (won the fancy knicker competition and was offered a job as a go-go dancer) who all paid towards the bus, had a good time at The Beer Keller, got back on the bus at the agreed departure time and all came home again. There is photographic evidence of this but it's not for general release.

The way that these parties were organised was through speaking to the people I wanted to invite. Those people were the people I wanted to come. A fairly simple yet effective method with no agenda other than to have fun. It went a bit like this "I'm having a party on (insert date and time) do you want to come?" and the answer went a bit like this "Yes". And then, here is best bit, they came to the party and had a good time. In the run up to the party there was little to no communication necessary and on the day of the party people turned up at the right time at the designated place.

If I could not speak to them face to face then the alternative method of communication was over the telephone when a telephone number, which I had written in an address book or I had memorized, was dialed at an appropriate time when I estimated that person to be at home. The message was conveyed and the response was immediate.

I don't remember a time when someone was doing something more interesting or didn't have time?

Obviously the people I was interacting with were teenagers without the burden of employment or theresponsibility of babies or spouses but it seemed a very simple process. Whereas in this age of smart phones and Facebook the process of inviting someone to anything seems to result in a cornucopia of flakiness and people who are so busy they cannot even reply with a cohesive answer or worst of all remain silent because they want to give the impression they are too busy. The other message about the the 'silent' part is that it means a rejection but you have to guess that part yourself.

Before the texting facility there wasn't any need to inform any one that you were on your way a number of times before you arrived , were lost, were running late or had a better offer and were not actually going to turn up as you had originally said. This was also mostly impossible because once you left your own house you had no access to a phone unless you found a phone box, had the right change and knew the phone number of the person who was having the party. If the party was not at a place where a phone could be answered none of the progress reports were possible and no one cared any way.

A Facebook event is also a cornucopia for misunderstanding as well as the presumption, by some, that because you have ticked the box indicating that you can't go, you feel the need to write a few sentences about just how much more exciting and interesting your life is that you can't go to a planned event that someone has spent time planning and taken the time to appreciate you and invite you.

It goes a bit like this

Friend has invited you to an event - Party (date, time place)

Going Not Going May Be

And you need to tick a box. That is it. What you are not asked to do is announce to the other invited guests that you can't go because:-

Sorry can't come because we'll be in The Maldives {or any other named luxury holiday destination which will evoke feelings of jealousy} having our best holiday ever in our lives. (sub text - having a better time than we would at your party)

Would love to come but we are so busy right now, you know what it's like? (sub text - going to work, coming home, eating and dealing with other stuff that life brings along just like every one else but frankly I can't be arsed and don't like you very much)

Can I let you know next week? (sub text - I might have a better offer by then so I'm keeping my options open when I can outrageously reject your invitation in favour of someone else's but if their invitation doesn't seem all that good then I'll come to you)

Sorry can't come I have family gathering that day. (sub text - I always have family stuff to do but I'm telling you this to make you understand that you are lowly on my scale of priorities).

In this new texting world some etiquette needs to be followed. In the same way as good manners were taught to us when we were children, we all need some proper rules and guidelines to follow in the world of cyber communication. We can then teach these to our children who will then be able to operate in the 21st century in the right and proper way.

Oh hang on! By the time they grow up and enter the world of work there will be some other new way of communication that we hadn't even thought about and we'll be no further forward....

I don’t go and see Shakespeare for the plot. I go and see how it is done. The stage direction is truly up to the director and any form of creativity can be used. This is the interesting aspect. So going to an outdoor stage on a Sunday afternoon was intriguing. Staging this play in an outside open arena, which relied on the voice projection of the cast with no microphones, back drop, curtains or lighting was a major challenge for most of the actors. The Podium at Cyberport is an area suitable for 2,000 people and with some more creative seating ideas the few who were watching this play could have had a much better experience instead of the scattered and informal arrangement on Sunday.

I do really commend the organizers for this event and the very fact that it will continue until 4th May is wonderful. Bringing Shakespeare to the masses in an informal manner is an attempt to make it accessible to all. Encouraging the presence of young children is also good. It was unfortunate that on Easter Sunday not many people came along. The organizers attempts at having a family fun day in the open, sterile atmosphere of The Podium left us feeling lost in a shadeless space on a very hot day. There was definitely not enough to keep us there for more than one play. There seemed to be lots of staff but no one really knew what to do. Perhaps on the days when the tickets are $150 and not $300 would equal more people?

I counted 50 people towards the closing act of Taming of the Shrew on Sunday. This number drifted in and out throughout and was not consistent. During the performance children played or became restless and had to be distracted in other ways towards the building at the back. That resulted in more distracting noise, as well as the helicopter flying overhead and the ships in the port. The slightly sloping arena with a low step and grass area was uncomfortable and undefined. The usual reverence offered to a drama was missing and, therefore, the hushed silence as the ‘curtain’ is drawn and the lights come on was lost.

The actors valiantly played on. Kate and Petruchio were outstanding. I admired their energy tremendously and as it should be I did laugh at the comedic moments. This is what Shakespeare wanted his audience to do and it did not pass me by that the original production would have been to a rowdy sweaty crowd in the day time with no electrics to enhance the sound. And it could have rained, but it didn’t, so that was positive!

Macbeth is one of the most performed Shakespearean tragedies, so I put it to you that going to see it is not about the plot or who dunnit or what happens at the end. It is about how it is performed. There is no need to alert any one about a plot spoiler because, well, you know who dies.

The Mcaulay Studio is small, seating only 76, if you all squash up cozy. Being so close to the actors, who are at floor level, the same as the first row, is intimate and a little scary, in a good way. Perhaps not that good for latecomers who find themselves having to almost say 'Excuse me' to the actors as they attempt to be invisible and find a seat after it has started. I hope those late comers get their act together in future and manage to be on time like the rest of us!

The set

A completely black minimalist set, with the throne at the centre for the whole performance, two swords hanging at the back and a black box to stand on to show power were the only items on stage. All entrances and exits were simple with an interesting freeze of action to cross cut to another time and place. This was an extremely effective technique which moved the plot along without the necessity for physical scene changes.

Costume

All characters were dressed in contemporary clothes of black or white with a subtle flash of red to represent all those things that temptress colour can symbolise. Passion, death, blood, anger, danger, war... Their weapons were guns and knives of various sizes.

Weird Sisters

The opening scene gave us those three weird sisters who we all love to hate and their presence on stage for much of the performance was wonderful. Two young ones and one lady of a certain age who played the Punk Witch, a terrific touch. They each carried a large pole which they 'banged' on the floor at crutial points. This was just one of many powerful moments of the performance. Yes, it made us all jump. The witches were involved in the death scenes, delivery of letters and phone calls bringing bad news and lead us to believe it was their prophecy and their meddling that made poor old Macbeth do the 'deed' which then brought him enough guilt to fill his mind with those scorpions he speaks of. Their role stressed the importance of magic and witchcraft making us believe it was their prophecy and spells that made everything go so horribly wrong.

Macbeth

David Mersaultis a talented actor who made us believe it was only him who could see Duncan or Banquo as ghosts. His portrayal of Macbeth was truly excellent. The passion between him and Lady Macbeth was evident as well as his weakness and guilt as he deteriorates into a defeated man. We need to see more of him in the future.

That bitch (plot spoiler alert)

I like the idea of blaming the witches because I've always felt Lady Macbeth (that bitch) pushed her husband into brutally killing the King while he was asleep in his bed and then, pretended he had no idea how it had happened and then, because he wasn't sleeping too well at night, took it upon himself to arrange for the death of his best friend Banquo and then the wife and young children of Macduff. While the whole incident filled Mr and Mrs Macbeth with incredible guilt, enough for her to top herself, Macbeth continued, as best he could, in his new King role believing that no man not born of women existed or Burnham Wood could get up and walk.

Oh how wrong he was!

The young MacDuff and his death scene must get that young man an A* is whatever drama course he is on?

Music and Lights and even smoke

There was smoke, there was the music of Nick Cave, there was a multi media video showing red blood and skulls. This all added to the experience and a very unique production of Macbeth. I did find that the music wasn't faded enough at certain points so the delivery of some crucial lines was lost. This is a minor point and I do applaud Adam Harris for his dedication and commitment to theatre in Hong Kong. This was a truly powerful production, full of witchcraft, fight scenes, murder, violence and lots of blood. Isn't it marvellous that Shakespeare wrote this for an audience in 1606 and those themes and exploration are still a full-on family favourite today.

It did exactly what it said on the tin. It was indeed a painful 100 minutes of British comedy. I squirmed and cringed my way through the crass awkwardness feeling like an intruder, furtively peeking in through the net curtains at a party I wasn't invited to, but a party I desperately wanted to be part of.

I wanted to look away, but at the same time I was compelled to see it out so I could be privy to the details of Beverly's party. Beverly, hatefully portrayed by Moe Moss, with her lid to brow shock of eye make-up, matching her maxi dress, flirted and schmoozed her way through the evening attending to her guests every need, poisoning them with her hospitality and exposing herself as the ignoramus Laurence knows she really is.

Ange, played by Kath O'Connor, is so glibly unaware that the rest of the guests, including monosyllabic husband Tony, Jim Lewis, about-to-burst-a-blood-vessel Laurence, Chris Guiness, and of course Sue, Gail Southward, are just as much irritated by her childish naivety as they are by Bev's superfluous hostess skills.

As if is is not enough that we are subjected to witnessing the consumption of pineapple and cheese on sticks, the persistent and irritating offering of cigarettes from a decorative cigarette box on the coffee table and the constant bickering between the hosts, we also have to watch, horrified, while Sue is slowly discharged of all dignity and Laurence becomes so incessantly stressed by Beverly's persona of kitchness he keels over and *dies.

If I had been a little more prepared I could have brought a cushion to hide behind during the closing scene so I could have shielded my delicate eyes from the unceremonious scrabble on the Berber rug and gone to bed thinking everyone went home and lived happily ever after...

I absolutely loved every moment of this production. I had high expectations before taking my seat but I was not disappointed in any way.

*I thought about this as a spoiler alert but frankly this play has been around since 1977 and if you don't know how it ends it's your fault.

‘An outstanding all-male ensemble. The pure physicality and energy is astonishing. This is a show that everyone should experience.’★★★★★ WhatsOnStage

My ticket purchase was made months ago in order to secure a seat and experience this production. A mixture of anxious anticipation with the possibility of having my senses battered and overwhelmed confused me. My own experience of watching Stanley Kubrick's version had left me disturbed and horrified but in no doubt that it is an excellent movie.

Extreme Cinema - Mark Kermode speaks I highly recommend you take 4 minutes to listen to the good Doctor introducing A Clockwork Orange on Channel 4 who explains the background and why it was banned in 1971.

The simplistic black set with only a black table and chairs meant the actors used minimal props to symbolize and move the plot on. The ensemble of nine males played every role, including the female character. Dressed in black trousers and either a white vest or a black vest with contrasting black or white braces was occassionally supplemented with a sneeky pop of something orange.

Action to the World is a physical theatre company and their depiction throughout is balletic and beautiful. The implied violence through skilled choreography was enough to be explicit in the mind. The Shakespearean delivery of the dialogue using Alex and his Droogs own language evoked a terrifying and enthralling experience, luring us in to the seedy violent world of disenchanted adolescence and gang boredom.

It was utterly brilliant and without a doubt one of the best stage performances I have seen in Hong Kong.

September 29, 2013

It was with immense anticipation that I took my seat in the Lyric Theatre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong on the evening of 19th September. I bought the tickets feeling quite flushed with excitement at the very thought of watching a burlesque show. Or was it that the high ticket price made my heart race? I mean, what would my mother think? It was billed as being an erotic performance for over 18s only.

Please take some time to watch the You Tube clip which is the opening act of the show - Sexy Army.

Did you watch it? What did you think? My first thought was "Small tits" then after a minute and a half of nothing much happening I thought "Yeh so, when does the erotic dancing start?"

The female form is a wonderful thing. I appreciate the curves and their beauty. Crazy Horse has been running for 60 years in a darkened intimate club where the audience is at close proximity to the nakedness and wine, possibly, is being consumed. I can see that the term erotic is appropriate in such a context. But in the soulless space of the A.P.A. and the comatosed audience that is the norm rather than the exception in Hong Kong on a Thursday night - frankly it was dull dull dull.

Oh yeh - apart from the bit when the super bendy flexible hip hop male dancer, fully dressed, wowed us with his moves. That was great.

After the first couple of routines I looked at my friend and she looked back. We shrugged with puzzled expressions. We were still hopeful that it would get better, that it would actually become exciting. The two elderly ladies with their tight grey curly perms in front of us were certainly well equipped with their binoculars - but I suspect they were as disappointed as we were. It didn't get any better.

We - meaning us - meaning the 21st Century - are used to sexy dancing. We see it on MTV every day. Beyonce and Britney have been doing it for years and doing it to a much higher standard. Plus they can sing. A few girls with their tits and arses out - moving quite slowly, lacking excitement or originality just didn't cut it.

June 16, 2013

'The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn’t need to be reformed — it needs to be transformed'

-Sir Ken Robinson

I discovered TED Talks on You Tube a few years ago and I use it from time to time in my classes. Sometimes I come across one that really hits the spot of a particular concept I want to explain and sometimes they are just so damn interesting I bring them into my classroom to inspire my students. The point is that speakers on TED Talks can present an idea so much better than I can.

For instance I grew weary of listening and watching my students do presentations locked in the the restricting mind numbing Microsoft world that is PowerPoint. I decided to have a power point free year. I showed them all the TED Talk - A Modest Proposal, David Bohannon explaining a scientific concept through dance and although didn't expect them to bring that exactly into the small space in front of the whiteboard, I did expect some imagination and creativity so they would at least think about presenting their ideas differently. I got it. I had Y7s playing music, rapping, singing, role playing and making art in stead of reading their dry power points.

When I became aware that TEDx was coming to Hong Kong to talk about education I quickly registered and bought my early bird ticket in order to secure my place.

The event in Quarry Bay was from 10am - 4pm and we were encouraged to register by 9am to ensure a seat. I felt it would be quite a test of our dwindling concentration spans as I read the itinerary. As any teacher knows keeping the attention of an audience involves short bursts of information with a variety of ever changing strategies to hold their interest. Overall this was achieved and the clever addition of the most coordinated man on the planet, Chris Brien and his percussion group 'Tribe' was inspired. Of course he didn't just perform, he explained his notion that rhythm can bring out creativity, improve IQ levels and boost the immune system Mozambique Drum Lesson 40 .

I obeyed the instructions and got there early to take my seat on the 1/F. It was announced that there were 1000 people attending the event which was actually in the space of the Island Evangelical Community Church and on two floors. 1/F where the stage was with the real live speakers, and 2/F where it was streamed onto to screens. The rooms were very nicely appointed but surely there are bigger spaces in Hong Kong where everyone could be seated on the same floor?

When it came to a break and my entitlement to a free drink, I felt that in the short time and given the amount of people, would mean there was no chance to join that queue as well as the queue for the ladies toilets! Good job I'd brought my own.

I have a feeling that God had kind of sneaked into this event through the back door. But we were sat in a church so may be he did use the same entrance as everyone else? Brett Hillard the Senior Pastor of Island ECC spoke with ease, was engaging and certainly made this atheist think. I was particularly impressed with his creative marketing and brochure ideas and am still allowing the phrase "If you are not failing you are not trying" run through my mind.

I had my eyes opened by Julian Zhu, excuse the pun, to an organisation called Dialogue in the Dark

Activities to book which is, according to Trip Advisor, Hong Kong's most popular attraction. DiD is an experiential venue to help understand what it is like to be visual impaired. With a white cane in hand and eyes bound shut you are guided around a variety of every day places for 175 minutes. There are options for Eating in the Dark and Birthdays in the Dark.The summer holiday is coming up and I certainly intend to visit.

Merijn Everaarts was compelling regarding the epidemic of one use plastic containers used in Hong Kong and his illustrations and statistics really did bring home the message that we will soon drown in waste. He has developed a sustainable plastic bottle called The Dopper and The Dopper Water & Waste Academy aims to empower citizens to take personal responsibility for reducing waste. Note to self - tap water in Hong Kong is safe so why do I buy it in bottles?

From a personal point of view I have been teaching in Hong Kong for 10 years now. I did my PGCE at The University of Hong Kong and have worked in local schools. The message I left HKU with was that I should be a 'change agent' and bring about change in the syllabus by incorporating new ways of teaching into the schools in Hong Kong where students are under a vast amount of pressure to pass exams and constant testing evades every waking hour. Unfortunately the waking hours seem to be once the students are home and in the middle of the night. Sleeping in class is so common it is acceptable behaviour. Sleeping in the staff room is also acceptable. I am not in the local system at the moment but I know that educational reform in Hong Kong is an up hill battle. I cannot comprehend why any reform is resisted but find it a complete paradox that research regarding new ways of teaching in Hong Kong is blinkered. The so called 'new ways' of teaching are not in any way new, they go on in the rest of the world as common good practice but in Hong Kong if they are not sitting in rows and passing or failing tests, are not under stress to complete after school tuition or are not carrying spine crushing bags they are not good students. It was, therefore, with great interest and expectation that when Sophie Leung took the stage with her tag line 'Instilling Hope to Students in a Skewed Education System' I thought I would hear something new. She fell well short of the mark and was yet another Hong Kong voice of empty cliches with no actual concrete idea.

Dr Yvonne Chiu was a very interesting speaker with an array of extremely complex ideas, notions and theories. Since I returned from TEDx I have read more about her ideas, she made me curious and wanting more. She had an impact on me.

Peter Kenny, who was last, and I guess was 'top of the bill' was extremely engaging and obviously used to the stage. He spoke of inclusion, international schools and local schools building links to address the situation we currently have in Hong Kong of having huge waiting lists for international schools yet local primary schools closing down in the local system with not enough students to attend them. My only complaint was that I wanted him to speak for longer.

CEO Reach Education Organization

There were 13 speakers expressing their ideas about education in Hong Kong and asking us to question whether we are doing the right thing for children, the city itself and the future. Each segment will be available to the public via the recordings made on the day so everyone has the opportunity to listen.

June 12, 2013

It is with great trepidation that I want to start this blog with "When I was young" because the sub-text reads "I am old now". Perhaps it's not about age, perhaps its about technological advances, which have been vast over the last 48 years? Such changes make the way things were and the way things are now result in making me feel wise and experienced. See how I steered that away from using the 'old' word there?
I am talking specifically about the way I listened to music and was introduced to new music because it is so very different to the way that happens now.

Music Centre

When I was growing up in my house we had a television and a record player in the living room, a radio in the kitchen and when I got to be about 14 I had a portable record player in my bedroom which sat on the floor. The living room was where the records, 45s and LPs, were kept in a special stacking unit under the teak display cabinet next to the telly which had 3 channels. The only progress I remember was when we got a colour telly which meant we could watch Play Days on BBC2 in colour. We also got a music centre which meant we could play the radio, cassette tapes and records on the same piece of equipment. All of these music playing machines were kept in the same corner of the living room.

Parent's Music Taste

The way music was played back then meant that everyone in the family got to hear your choice of music. My mother liked John Denver and my dad liked Irish folk music. When they put their records on I listened to the tracks. I learned the words of many songs just because they were being played in the background while I went about my business. When I played my records they listened to my choice. When I was deeply involved with Donny Osmond's Puppy Love and played it loud enough so I could hear it in the garden (with the arm across so it repeated) there was a few tuts but I continued to listen and so did they. When my brother was all consumed with Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and what became a life long love of punk I also became knowledgeable about punk music even though I only owned The Osmonds and David Essex LPs.

Top of the Pops - BBC Radio 1

Then there was Top of the Pops and Radio 1. That was the way I heard new music and decided if I liked it enough to buy it. The new number one was announced on a Sunday and I would listen for hours to ensure that I knew who it was so I would be all knowledgeable on a Monday morning at school. And then on Thursdays that number one song would be the last to be played on TOTP.

There was a time when me and my brother would attempt to use our small cassette player to record music from the telly. This meant standing by until the disc jockey had announced the band (sometims that would be Jimmy Saville) and then pressing record and play simultaniously and then, most importantly, remain totally silent until it had finished thereupon jumping up to press 'stop' so as not to get Jimmy or Tony or Dave or Noel's voice on the recording.

I remember this proving really difficult during Sugar Baby Love by the Rubetts because the lead voice was so incredibly high it made us convulse into fits of laughter and have to go in the kitchen until that bit was over.

Purchasing Music

Based upon my exposure to music via Top of the Pops or Radio 1 I would decide whether I liked a song enough to buy the single and then if I really liked the artist whether to go the full distance and buy their LP, which would have tracks on both sides, that I'd never ever heard and was taking a huge risk shelling out my hard earned Saturday girl money for.

When I got home and put the record on everyone else got to hear it. I took it rounds my friend's house sometimes so they could hear it too.

New Way

These days the way I listen to music and find out about new music is completely different. It is hardly ever from the television and when I listen to the radio I do it through a podcast of various BBC shows and for copyright reasons I can only listen to the voice of the DJ, the music is not available. The people around me do not pollute my space with their music. That would be rude.

They play their own personal music through earphones into their brain. So my question is how do we know about other people's music and new music? I feel my music education happened because I had to listen to the music of others and be exposed to various different tastes. I had to listen to music I didn't particularly like so as to get to the stuff I did like.

Now it is possible to only buy selected tracks from albums which I think is a real shame because when you have a whole album you start off liking some tracks and then you might warm to the others over time. But if you never gave yourself the chance in the first place and only bought a few tracks then you could be missing out?

Earphone benefits?

Earphone wearing has its benefits - I understand that. But as we all go about our business listening to our own personal music through earphones we may fail to be exposed to music of different eras and genres because although the range of music available to illegally download via You Tube is vast, I suspect only a small amount is explored because it seems that the same narrow range music is being listened to all over the globe in the same way as T-shirts and jeans are the most common choice of dress all over the world.

There are homes all over the world where 3 or 4 people may inhabit the same living space but no one plays their music out loud into the room, they all listen to their own private music pumped into their ears via earphones and thus depriving the rest of the household from saying 'turn that bloody noise down' or even better 'is that a girl or a bloke singing that?"

Children can be sucked into their own You Tube Itunes world and never know the musical taste of their parents, never have to suffer their parents Radio 2 choice of music, never know all the words to American Pie and never have the opportunity to get to know where the original track came from.

April 06, 2013

I went on a pilgrimage to see this play. I am on Facebook and I 'liked' their page. I followed various instructions and clicked on various points in order to find out the time, the place, the date and the price of the ticket. I don't consider myself to be particularly technologically challenged but I found this information very difficult to see clearly from their page and so when I eventually made it to The Beating Heart theatre space (down a slope into a car park, up in an unmarked lift to the 8/F of Cheung Fat Building

7-9 Hill Road

Shek Tong Tsui

and paid my $150 I really felt quite proud to have succeeded in my mission to attend. Of course the two members of the cast standing at the top of the aforementioned slope were a big clue and I was grateful for their prescence. What I really needed was a much easier way to buy a ticket and a map to the venue. Forgive me all involved but I live in Sai Kung afterall.

cast in action

Hash Tag HK Problems under score The Play, to give it its full and correct title, is a series of sketches depicting the moments of frustration we all feel at times, living and working as expats in this city of rules and regulations with his confounding language. There are a few bloggers who do this online, me for instance, and Hong Kong Expattery is always funny (I wish it was mine) Hong Kong Expattery and probably many others. Meaghan McGurgan and Eric Krueger have now gone one step further and made the concept into a stage play, it could even be called

Hash Tag HK Problems under score The Musical as there is much singing and dancing happening along the way. Oh and did I say it was funny? Well it is. I laughed a number of times throughout the performance and so did the audience and, therefore, it can be called Hash Tag HK Problems under score The Comedy Show too.

I found the cute (yes he was SO cute in those shorts) P3 student hilarious with his obsequious presentation skills which, no doubt, will carry him through the education system and into a leadership role in no time at all. I could also relate to the question to the 'class' 'Why do we have red packets at Chinese New Year?" and answer is always "To get money" and no one ever knows anything else about it and I find myself, as the only westerner in the classroom, explaining traditions and rituals of Chinese New Year in Hong Kong to Chinese students!

The rain scene with the very cleverly choreographed umbrellas and the fierce little old lady was particularly good and the 'dirty little secret' skit was good to include. Although I wasn't entertained by the domestic abuse scene supposedly going on in the bedroom. Perhaps a little too much of a generalising stereotypical view point which puts you in danger, on that pesky thin ice arena, of bordering on the offensive and steering a bit too far away from the comedy element which we were all there to enjoy. And while I am on the subject of being entertained perhaps toning down the swearing would be funnier than relying on expletives to get the laughs and concentrate on the good material that you've got to work with? Just saying.

There is talk of Hash Tag HK Problems under score The Play being performed again this month and so look out on Facebook where you'll, hopefully, find clear instructions on when and where its on and how to buy a ticket.

February 23, 2013

If you didn't get your act together and booked your ticket for this wonderful event, which is part of the 2013 Arts Festival, way back in October, then you've probably missed your window of opportunity to see it in Hong Kong. So you're going to be feeling totally frustrated and generally pissed off once you read my blog telling you how bloody marvelous it is.

It is bloody marvelous!

One Man, Two Guvnors is a brilliant play encompassing the basic elements of a British farce with very satisfying door swinging, mistaken identity and trousers down moments linked with Commedia dell'Arte and based on Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters. So if you don't know (I didn't) have a quick read on Wikipedia and learn.

Set in Brighton (which is interesting) 1963 our protagonist, Francis Henshall, a most cheeky chappy who is on stage for 99% of the time and holds the whole play together, while interacting with the audience as well as making us all believe and care about his character, even when he appears to go out of character - keep your wits about you - which was all part of the suspension of disbelief and I was suspended and believed hook line and sinker.

I loved the baddie, the cad the cavalier Stanley Stubbers, even though I wasn't supposed to, but his line 'Smells worse than a doctor's finger' was, for me, one of the funniest of the night.

I particularly loved the set which was large painted sections of movable walls with a nod to the era using 1960's colour and design (which means clashing, bordering on bad taste kitsch) while at the same time tricked the eye resulting in a feel of the whole stage being much taller and deeper than it really is.

I have to mention the band. So refreshing in Hong Kong to have musicians on view and also looking cool. As a special treat the boys in the band, think Buddy Holly/Beatles lookalike and soundalike, come up on stage at the beginning and during set changes to entertain. Dressed in matching suits and skinny black ties, thier slicked backed quiffs and large horn rimmed glasses add to the 60's mood and I loved the metal vintage microphones.

I had a wonderful evening of entertainment in Wan Chai's Lyric Theatre and it was very convenient to partake in a little beverage or two in one of the many fine establishments after the play was over. Hey hey!

February 03, 2013

I am truly aware that the subject of walking along the pavement does not, on the face of it, seem like a subject to spark much interesting conversation.
And for those of you who absolutely and completely disagree with the above and before you start yelling at your screen.

I feel your pain.

I am truly aware that walking along the pavement in Hong Kong has been covered and at the risk of seeming hyperbolic - seven million times before! It even has a name 'Asian drift'

Moreover (*see below) I am truly aware that people, and by that I mean people who are my friends or could be a potential friend) understand, appreciate and embrace the unwritten rules of pavement etiquette. The subtext meaning, and I feel it necessary to be completely transparent here, because if you don't understand pavement etiquette you may not get that you are not and never will be my friend if you don't practice pavement etiquette. I have standards.

In an all embracing positive educational lesson in personal growth the following is the previously unwritten, unspoken pavement etiquette for those of you who need it spelling out.

Pace

Keeping a pace or speed that enables the rest of humanity on the pavement to smoothly convey themselves from lets say, their home to their work place, and not make them explode out of frustration due to the snail pace adopted by many pavement etiquette challenged people is the number one essential skill. Walking faster than a depressed sloth is unacceptable. Speed up!

One foot in front of the other

Getting from point a) to point b) can be much more efficient if each footfall is approximately the size of two of your own feet, one in front of the f***ing other. This is simply achieved by picking up each foot and moving it swiftly forward. It is essential to miss out dragging the heel of the shoe, sandal or flip flop along the pavement in a sluvenly manner. I may need to point out that once the first foot has made it the second one should follow for the sake of succinct progress.

Stelthness

I am not suggesting you adopt a cat burglar style of walking simply a quieter one. Pay attention to any noise you tend to make whilst in the act of walking. If you can hear a rhythmic shushing noise which stops when you stop walking, that's you. If you are unaware of how the noise occurs try picking your feet up as you walk and resist the temptation to drag making an annoying shushing. I am also aware of podiatrist advice that flip flops are really bad for your feet and also posture and cause long term spine damage, so get some shoes that stay on your feet and allow you to run for a bus if you need to.

Straight Line

In these days of smart phones there is the fairly new phenomenon of texting/viewing/sexting/lisening/adding/capturing while walking. But, dear reader, the phenomena of drifting off the unmarked walking in a straight line - line is not new. It is common and has been common for years and years that in Hong Kong pedestrians are given to literally wandering along pavements in a meandering fashion. The indecisiveness of the drifitng walk is frustrating given that pavements here are busy, in fact chockablock full of folk, all meandering along causing difficult access for others who simply want to overtake. Without actual lines drawn on the pavement (and that is another idea hatching) the drifters are simply unable to sense another pedestrian in their peripheral vision resulting in a person (me for instance) in several failed attempts to get past.

I try approaching from the left and just as I am in danger of getting my foot entangled with theirs they veer off to the left so I have to slow down and hang back in their slip stream while I change tactics and try the maneuver from the right. Then there may be a possible elbow touching or shoulder bag blockage once again forcing me back into their slip stream and once again, getting frustrated now, having to walk behind a slow paced, flip flop dragging pavement etiquette challenged individual who has no peripheral vision capability.

My advice for those of you who do not realize when other people are overtaking you is to turn you head to the right or left occasionally and look.

Groups

Now to tackle the group walking along the pavement which is difficult enough to negotiate when in the group. But to be forced into an encounter with a group and by that I mean three or more, is incredibly frustrating. A group becomes an impenetrable mass impossible to overtake and who so often adopt a sloth paced shuffle blocking access to shop door ways or various differing turn off points along the pavement. Should an innocent solo pavement user, like myself, decide that she wants to break away from her straight line, fairly fast paced, stealth-like walk and enter a shop, then a group is present on said pavement, it is near impossible to make them aware of the necessary change of direction she wants to take.

The present situation means that a shoulder tackle of some force has to be used in order to get through the group who are heading straight (ish). Unbelievably at these times when barging and pushing has been absolutely necessary, the members of the group adopt a hurt and shocked attitude as if they are completely unaware of the blockage they are causing. In fact I believe they believe they are the only people on the pavement or actually in the world because their empathy with other pavement users is zilch.

My advice to group pavement walkers is to adopt some semblance of good manners and try standing to one side while gesturing with one hand a clear and unobstructed path for any other solo pavement user to pass in front. You could make this experience a little more enjoyable for all concerned if you said "After you" or similar, at this point.

Couples

Walking down a crowded street holding hands is particularly annoying and blocks the steady flow of other pavement users. Stop it!

Door Holding

Holding a door for anyone is an alien concept in these parts. There are two ways to improve this situation. If you go through a door first and someone is directly behind you it is good manners to hold the door for then as opposed to letting it go and risk it slamming in their face. If you approach a door and there is a woman with a baby in a pushchair behind you, open the door wide for her and let her go first. This goes for disabled people or injured people and is not grounds for a medal just expected behaviour in the civilized world. Do it!

* moreover is a word that needs to be eliminated from Hong Kong.

See me - that is my teacher voice - all who continue - for detention and possible spanking.

November 14, 2012

I know it's quite a radical way of thinking but I want to put it out to you all that every one should learn to type on a keyboard using all of their fingers and thumbs. This also involves sitting up straight at a desk with feet flat on the floor. This skill is not taught formally yet millions of people use a keyboard every day.

To become a skillful touch typist it takes around six weeks to master the home keys of

ASDF (SPACE) JKL;

and after that each finger is taught to remember where the other letters are. It is not that difficult, just repetitive.

Six weeks is not a lot of time. I can type as fast as I can think.

Now I have a smart phone I can use one finger nail to type a message or alternatively two thumbs. This is proving quite difficult, inaccurate and frankly it's a right palaver. I am a ham fisted, special needs lummox at smart phone typing.

I did say I would keep you posted regarding the evolution of my smart phone usage - well I've been rating it at the status of 'hate' but in the last day it's gone up, slightly, to 'I'm not really getting on with it'

And frankly why do I need notification beeps when someone emails because when I decide to look at my laptop I can see that information - when I decide to look...is the need for immediate response that great? I am not a world leader or whiz invester who needs to buy - no - sell...